When Ian and Lyana Keane decide to relocate their family to the sleepy New Hampshire town of Littleton, there is one property in particular that they feel inexplicably drawn towards. The house is perfect. Tucked away and hard to find, shrouded in mist and shadow, their new home comes complete with a rich history, extensive grounds, intriguing character, and a Caretaker.
As the Littleton locals mutter ominously about the newcomers “up at Farr Hill”, the Keanes and their teenage children, Ariel and Zach, embark on a chapter of their lives that will shake and test the very limits of their realities. Where did these hidden rooms come from, and where have they gone? Where does the door in the woods lead? And why is Lyana acting so strangely? One by one the Keane family realise that dark forces - or something stronger - are afoot. And when Zach and Ariel stumble upon a tiny cottage in the grounds belonging to Marshall, the Caretaker who came with the house, things start to get much darker at Farr Hill.
Ian discovers a secret room which triggers his appalling childhood memories, Ariel and Zach share the same horrific dream, and Lyana’s sanity seems to ebb away, sucked into the very walls of the house itself. Be it cursed ancient mythology, dark magic, or just chilling coincidence, the Keane family are forced to rely on Marshall the caretaker for help, but is he really as kind and cooperative as he seems? Marshall gradually seems to become so much more than just a Caretaker, as he helps them uncover and destroy the unnatural threat that had lain buried deep in the walls of their house for nearly a century.
KIRKUS REVIEWS —
“In this inaugural volume of the Goodpasture Chronicles, Halbert puts a new spin on classic horror and suspense tropes of the “creepy old house with a malevolent entity embedded in its walls” variety … the author’s authentic, believable characters provide a sturdy framework for the drama taking place inside (and outside) the manor, and the short chapters keep things moving along at a brisk pace. Plenty of character backstory adds depth to the tale. Some of the most riveting scenes involve the adventurous children as they wander the property grounds discovering new areas of the “spooky woods,” which are chillingly depicted but never fully explored. Still, the author successfully and cleverly re-creates and refreshes the haunted house yarn with a fresh sense of dark wonder and mystery, adding plenty of eerie nuances that are creepy but ultimately harmless and devoid of anything that’s graphically terrorizing, which will appeal to adult and YA reading audiences alike. The concluding scene will have thriller fans primed for the next installment.
An imaginative series debut with a spooky plot, chilling details, and a wholesome family”
BookTrib —
“R.J. Halbert has crafted a fast-paced, thought-provoking tale through a small town, an old property and a family on the brink of insanity as they try to figure out the unimaginable occurrences in Caretaker, the first book of The Goodpasture Chronicles. It is well written, chock full of suspense, cluttered with objects and rooms that appear and suddenly disappear – keeping readers on a string and trying to make sense of the pieces presented to solve the bigger puzzle. Come along for this entertaining exercise in sorting reality from fantasy.”
Tosca Lee (New York Times Bestselling Author) —